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The Long Stitch Good Night: An Embroidery Mystery

Page 14

by Amanda Lee


  “No, dear,” Vera said gently. “Graham was the victim. He’s the person who got shot. I get what you’re saying, though. Graham always reminded me of an Eddie Haskell type—always buttering people up so he could try and get away with something.”

  “Somebody shot Eddie Haskell?” Mrs. Trelawney unwrapped another mint and popped it into her mouth.

  If I thought I could have gotten away with rolling my eyes, I would have.

  “It was probably Ward or Wally,” Mrs. Trelawney said. “Did Eddie do something mean to the Beav?”

  “More than likely,” Reggie said.

  “No, wait. I remember now.” Mrs. Trelawney raised her index finger to her lips. “Eddie was shot in the line of duty after he became a police officer. He was saved by his bulletproof vest and his belt buckle.”

  “Wow,” I said. “That’s something.”

  Reggie deftly changed the subject back to stitching with a question about the piece she was working on. I was truly grateful. Sometimes, Mrs. Trelawney seemed sword-tip sharp. But at other times, she made me wonder what kind of medications she was taking. And she did tend to go off on the strangest tangents. For example, after class, she took me aside.

  “While I simply adore your little soirees, you need to consider serving more satisfying refreshments,” she said. I’d heard this one before. She kindly pointed out to me almost every time she came that my snacks were somewhat lacking.

  “Actually, Mrs. Trelawney, these are embroidery classes,” I replied.

  “Perhaps I can bring something the next time. I do so wish that Tawny Milligan still ran her mother’s catering business. I thought of her because she used to date that cheeky Graham Stott, you know.”

  I placed my hand on Mrs. Trelawney’s forearm. “You know Tawny Milligan?”

  “Oh, yes. She makes the best tarts,” said Mrs. Trelawney. “I mentioned that to Graham once—I thought they were going to get married and that he’d be proud to have a wife who was such an accomplished baker.”

  “And was he proud?” I asked.

  “No. He said it took a great tart to make one, he guessed.” She narrowed her eyes and shook her head. “He was repugnant.”

  “It sounds like it. Where’s Tawny now?”

  “I don’t know,” she said. “She left town. One could hardly blame her for that.”

  “Because of Graham?”

  Mrs. Trelawney nodded. “And the pregnancy, of course.”

  I gaped. “Tawny Milligan was pregnant?” Then Todd’s guess had been spot-on. “Was the child Graham’s?”

  “I suppose. She left, and I never heard any more about it.” She brightened. “Have a good night, Marcy, darling. And do think about what I said.”

  I nodded. I’d be thinking about what she said, all right, but it would be about Tawny Milligan’s baby rather than soiree refreshments. After that revelation, it didn’t bother me overmuch that Mrs. Trelawney thought I’d hosted a party and had served water and Starlight mints.

  Reggie had hung back until after the other students and Mrs. Trelawney left. “I heard back from my friend Carol. The name Tawny Milligan used after she left college was Sarah Masterson,” said Reggie. “The number Carol had for her had been disconnected, though, and my own Internet search didn’t produce any solid leads.”

  “Did Carol mention anything about Tawny being pregnant?” I asked.

  “No. Was she?”

  “According to Mrs. Trelawney, she was. Of course, Mrs. Trelawney thinks I threw a party this evening and served only Starlight mints. And water.” Okay, so it bothered me a little.

  Reggie burst out laughing. “She can get terribly confused. What else did she say about Tawny?”

  “She said Tawny used to run her mother’s catering business and was an excellent baker.”

  “That much is true,” Reggie said. “I remember that catering company. It was located in Lincoln City and was called A Special Occasion. I’ll look it up and see if it’s still there.”

  “Cool. Please let me know what you find out,” I said.

  “I will. I’m pretty curious about this name change and mysterious disappearance myself.”

  When I got home, Sadie, Blake, and Todd were already waiting for me. Since Sadie had a key, they’d let Angus in and had made a pot of decaffeinated coffee. The three of them were sitting around the table sipping coffee and looking glum when I walked into the kitchen. Even Angus looked sad, but he stood and greeted me.

  I hugged him and kissed the top of his scruffy head. “Everything is okay, baby.” I looked at Sadie. “Everything is all right, isn’t it?”

  “I guess so,” she said. “All things considered.”

  I, too, sat down at the table. I noticed that everyone else was having trouble making eye contact. We’d never get anywhere like this. Someone needed to take the plunge. I figuratively held my nose and dived in.

  “So, guys, each of you believes the other one shot Graham Stott,” I said. “I realize you’ve been over this ad nauseam in your own heads and among yourselves, and I understand you’re best friends and you’re trying to protect each other. But it might help if you lay the facts out individually so Sadie and I can get a fresh take on what happened Friday night. So, one at a time—starting with Blake, which makes it alphabetical—tell me what took place at the Brew Crew party. And start at the beginning of the evening.”

  Blake breathed deeply, stared down at the table, and started talking. “When Sadie and I first got to the Brew Crew, everything was cool. Everybody—the Alpha Sigs, I mean—seemed to be relaxed and having a good time. Sadie saw someone she knew, and she went over to say hello.”

  “Were all the Alpha Sigs there then?” I asked.

  “Not at that time. Mark and Graham hadn’t got there yet,” Blake said. “While Sadie was talking with her friend, Graham came in. Sadie and Graham had a history, and Sadie doesn’t—didn’t—like him, so she stayed at the bar after that.”

  “Is that when the mood started turning sour?” I got up to get a cup of coffee and to top off everyone else’s.

  “Not right away,” Blake answered. “I mean, Graham was a little snooty as usual, and he appeared to be already a little buzzed when he got there. But he didn’t get belligerent until after he’d had more to drink.”

  “From what I’ve heard, it didn’t take long for the trouble to start.” I returned the coffeepot to its base and sat back down.

  “No, it didn’t.” Blake raked his hands through his short blond hair. “We all had too much to drink Friday night. We should’ve known better.”

  “Nope,” I said. “We’re not having a shoulda-coulda-woulda or a pity party here. Just tell us what happened as you remember it.”

  “Yeah, okay,” said Blake. “Basically, as the night progressed, Graham got more and more argumentative with everyone. Finally, I heard him arguing with Todd. I don’t know what they were fighting about, but Graham threatened to kill Todd. I distinctly heard Graham say the words I’ll kill you. So I ran into Todd’s office and got the gun. I was going to threaten Graham and make him leave. As I got to the back room, I heard the shot fire. Both Graham and Todd hit the floor. I dropped the gun and went to see if they were okay. And you know the rest.”

  “All right.” I nodded toward Todd. “Your turn.”

  “Blake is spot-on up until the point where he ran into the back room. Graham and I were arguing,” Todd said.

  “Why did he threaten to kill you?” I asked.

  “He was just blowing smoke. I took his keys away and told him I was calling a cab.” He sipped his coffee. “He really was too drunk to go driving off, and I refused to give him back his keys. He said his car was a Bentley Continental GT and that he refused to leave it parked at this dive overnight. He said to give him his keys or he’d kill me. I wasn’t in fear for my life. I knew he was just talking.”

  “And this is what you were arguing about in the back room?” Blake asked. “I thought it was…you know…something more serious.” />
  “What did you think it was?” Sadie asked her husband.

  Blake and Todd shared a look, and then Blake shook his head. “I don’t know.”

  “Yes you do,” Sadie said.

  “And if we’re going to sort this out and help you two, you have to be up front with us,” I added.

  “Like we’ve both said, Graham was arguing with everybody,” Todd said. “He was bringing up all this junk from the past as well as the present. Sadie had mentioned to Charles that Riley went into labor. Since Riley and I had dated my last year of college, all the guys knew her. Charles suggested we drink a toast to her.”

  “Graham began taunting Todd,” Blake said. “He asked how it felt to know the woman he loved was giving birth to another man’s child.”

  “I made it clear to Graham that I wasn’t in love with Riley,” said Todd, directing his answer to me.

  “But Graham wouldn’t let up,” said Blake. “He just kept hammering at Todd about how Riley had dumped him for Keith and that Keith had been the better man then and was still the better man.”

  “And then, of course, I had to remind him that Sadie had dumped him for Blake, who was by far a better man than Graham would ever be.” Todd raised his coffee cup in a salute to Blake. “From there, things just went from bad to worse. I should’ve never brought up Sadie to Graham when he’d been drinking.”

  “Not that he was that crazy about me,” Sadie said. “He just never liked to lose anything. While we were dating, he looked at me as being his, and we didn’t even go out for all that long. He simply staked his claim, and I was supposed to adhere to it until he was finished with me.” She reached over and took Blake’s hand. “But I met this guy, and fell in love almost immediately.”

  “Ditto.” Blake leaned in for a kiss.

  “You guys previously said that Graham was being a jerk to everybody,” I said. “Was that before or after the Riley toast?”

  “Both,” Todd said. “He started with Mark. When Mark arrived, Graham asked him where he’d been. Mark said he had to finish up at the gym before he could leave, and Graham said it’s too bad he had more brawn than brain and couldn’t manage a white-collar job.”

  “Let me guess,” I said. “Mark just blew him off.”

  “How’d you know?” Blake asked.

  “Because in the short time I’ve known Mark, he seems unfazed by just about everything,” I said.

  “Don’t let him fool you,” said Todd. “If he’s pushed too far, he will retaliate.”

  “Did Graham pick on any of the other guys?” Sadie asked.

  “Sure, but it was just petty stuff,” Blake said. “Nothing happened that you’d expect Graham to be murdered over.”

  “Nothing happened there,” I said. “Or nothing happened on Friday night that you guys know of. But something obviously happened that put Graham on someone’s hit list. We just have to figure out what and whose list.”

  “I say we add how to that list.” Blake shook his head. “There were three people in that room: Graham, Todd, and me. Unless Graham shot himself, I don’t know how it could’ve happened without Todd or me seeing who did it.”

  “I think the shooter was in the hallway behind you,” I said to Blake. “After he shot Graham, he could’ve run into the bathroom or blended into the crowd.”

  “That would explain why there wasn’t another gun found,” Todd said. “He took it with him.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  The next morning, as soon as Angus and I got to the shop, I went into the office and logged on to the computer. A man as rich, powerful, and arrogant as Graham Stott was bound to have a few enemies. I wanted to try to find out who they were and if they could’ve been at the Brew Crew Friday night. A jury needed nothing more than reasonable doubt to return a not-guilty verdict. And although I was certain their attorneys—well, Todd’s, anyway—were all over that, I wanted to help my friends in any way I could.

  Before leaving my house last night, Blake and Todd had resolved to consult with their attorneys and, if the attorneys agreed, to tell their story to the police. Right now I feared law enforcement was working to build the prosecution’s case against Blake and Todd rather than seeking other viable suspects. After all, they believed the killer or killers—Blake and Todd could theoretically have been working together—had already been indicted.

  I stared at my empty search bar, wondering what to type. I supposed I could simply start with the name Graham Stott. But what I wanted to know is who would have profited from Graham’s death. Had Todd and Blake not been found in the room with the victim and the possible murder weapon, the police would have started questioning the people who had the most to gain from killing the victim. So I keyed in Graham Stott, Oregon, business partners, and I clicked the search key. The screen instantly filled with links.

  Before I could begin scrolling through them, the bells over the shop door jingled. I minimized the window and hurried out into the shop. My visitor was Andy, and he was playing ball with Angus.

  “This is a great dog,” Andy said. “Is he yours?”

  “Yep. His name is Angus.”

  At the mention of his name, Angus came and dropped his ball at my feet. I picked it up and tossed it into the sit-and-stitch area.

  As Angus scampered after his ball, I asked Andy if he had any pets.

  “Not me,” he said. “My landlord forbids it. My nephew has a Jack Russell terrier, though.” He laughed. “And, believe me, those two rambunctious boys can get into a lot of trouble.”

  “I bet so.”

  Angus brought his ball back to Andy, and Andy dutifully lobbed it across the room.

  “Would you like to sit down?” I asked.

  “No, thanks,” Andy said. “I can’t stay but a minute. I don’t have a class this morning until eleven, so I thought I’d come by and check out your shop on my way to school.” He looked around and nodded approvingly. “This is super.”

  “Thank you so much.” I grinned. “Let me give you the grand tour.” I gestured to the right. “That’s the shop area.” I gestured to the left. “And this is the sit-and-stitch square.”

  “You didn’t introduce me to your lovely assistant,” he said with a smile.

  “That’s Jill. I’d planned to name her after Marilyn Monroe’s character in The Seven Year Itch, but—”

  “But Marilyn’s character didn’t have a name in that movie. They called her the girl,” Andy finished.

  “I’m impressed,” I said. “Are you an old movie buff or a Marilyn fan?”

  “A little of both.” Angus returned with the ball, and Andy threw it again. “You look kinda like her. That’s why I could hardly believe you’d go out with me…you know, you looking like you and me looking like me.”

  I leveled my gaze. “Stop fishing for compliments, Andy. You’re just trying to get me to confirm that you’re an attractive guy.”

  “So we’re still on for Friday?” he asked.

  “Of course. I have to be up front with you, though. I’ve dated some since moving to Tallulah Falls, but I’m pretty cautious,” I said. “I didn’t leave my heart in San Francisco, but I did have it trampled on there.”

  “Hey, I’ve had my share of heartbreak too. Friendship is good, though, right?”

  “The best.” I smiled. “By the way, Blake said Graham was taunting Todd because Riley had given birth to her and Keith’s baby. But I thought Todd and Riley were through at least three years ago. Why would Graham taunt Todd about that now?”

  Andy shrugged. “Some people say you never get over your first love. Graham hadn’t got over his, and he didn’t think Todd had either.”

  “And Graham’s first love was Sadie?” I asked.

  “Inasmuch as Graham ever loved anyone other than himself. Plus, I think in a way, he wanted Todd to commiserate with him,” Andy said. “The Todd-Riley-Keith situation played out much like the Graham-Sadie-Blake scenario. When Riley met Keith, she broke things off with Todd to pursue the relationship with K
eith.”

  “Graham sure had a perverse way of trying to garner sympathy,” I said.

  “Graham had a perverse way of doing a lot of things.” He petted Angus. “I’d better get to the college. Should I pick you up here on Friday?”

  “That should work. Give me a call Friday morning, and we’ll work out the details,” I suggested.

  When Andy left, I went back into the office and pulled up the search engine results. As I perused the links, I wondered if it was possible that Todd hadn’t gotten over his first love…if he still had feelings for Riley. Or maybe, like I’d seen with David—my ex-fiancé, who had tried his darnedest to get me back—time and distance had showed Todd that his and Riley’s relationship wasn’t the perfect pairing he’d once envisioned and that their romance wouldn’t have lasted even had Keith not come into the picture.

  My thoughts turned to Ted. His marriage hadn’t lasted. He and his wife had—as far as I knew—gone through an amicable divorce. Ted never talked about it. In fact, I didn’t even know his ex-wife’s name. Did he avoid talking about her because he was still nursing a broken heart or because he was simply over her and had nothing to say?

  It dawned on me that the two primary men pulling my heartstrings both had a ton of baggage. And it wasn’t like I didn’t have a matching set of my own that I was lugging around. But maybe Andy had the right idea with the friendship thing. It was possible that I was destined to play a “buddy girl” role to all the guys in this play rather than the girl the hero fell crazy in love with. Or it was possible that my hero had yet to arrive on the scene.

  The doorbells jangled again, and I hopped up out of my office chair to return to the shop. Wouldn’t it be wild if there was a handsome stranger standing there? Our eyes would meet, and the music would swell, and we would just know. There wouldn’t be any waiting to see how things turned out. We’d know immediately that we were meant for each other.

  The record scratched.…

  Standing near the counter was not a handsome stranger but an attractive woman in her mid-forties with honey blond hair styled to perfection.

 

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